22 Nov 1963, president John. F. Kennedy died, shot in Dallas by a single man, Lee Harvey Oswald.
This is what you need to believe. Read Wikipedia or the New York Times, this is what they say so it must be true.
The problem is, as this Gallup poll shows, for the last 50 years, most Americans still won’t believe this narrative.
According to people who are now called “conspiracy theorists”, when the CIA realized their explanation was not accepted, even after the Warren Commission report and its famous “magic bullet” (watch this scene in Oliver Stone’s movie), they decided to call people who were refuting the official narrative as “conspiracy theorist”!
Note: besides the magic bullet, there are other suspicious clues, like the fact the 3rd bullet scattered differently than the first two, like the fact Oswald was killed by someone who also acted alone a few days later, like 50 other witnesses who are linked to JFK died in the next years. To name a few. Read here for an article that explains these points, and sure, you can find other articles that will say the opposite, as I explain in this article, so read on please.
In any case, there is a conspiracy about the word “conspiracy”, isn’t it fun!!!
Who is it for and why starting Hard To Swallow with this topic?
A note of warning: These articles are for those who are willing to see the big picture and understand better what’s going on beyond this covid circus.
If you are unsure about the so-called “vaccines”, or if you’re sure this is not for you, welcome.
If, on the other hand, you have already been “vaccinated”, or know you’re going to be as soon as possible, this is not kind for you to read what will follow.
I do believe we are powerful when we are aligned with ourselves.
If being aligned with yourself means having these injections, following these articles could potentially give you some doubts, and, again, this is not something kind to yourself.
Having said this, this is your life and your responsibility…
Now, the reason why I start with this “conspiracy theory” phrase is to tackle how you and I feel about having a different perspective than the official media narrative.
As I said in the intro of this project, even a rebel like me, who has had an unconventional life, got triggered with the measures taken worldwide and this media narrative.
The goal for this chapter is for you to be ok, actually to be more than this, let’s say in harmony with yourself, for having a different perspective than what’s portrayed as absolute truth.
Let’s do it!
The power of the phrase “conspiracy theorist”
With the desire to impose their views, you might have realized that medias have used this phrase, a lot, wherever you live, to discriminate the so-called conspiracy theorists, read “anyone-who-challenges-the-official-narrative”.
There are now “fact-checkers” on many platforms, “debates” on this topic with psychologists and “experts” (they must be because they are invited on the TV / Radio, are they not!?!) explaining this phenomenon and how to fight these horrible horrible horrible people.
This reminds me of this hilarious scene in Kung Fu Panda with Sifu’s description of the worst day of his life:
Alright ladies and gents, let’s talk about this conspira-thing challenge!
Conditioned Reflex and Words as Walls
First, something you might agree with me, if someone calls me a conspiracy theorist, I’d say that the first reaction is not very positive. Actually, it sucks, it feels like you insult me.
Idriss Aberkane, a French scientist, talks about “conditioned reflex” when we hear the word “vaccine” (link in French, at 18’35). Likewise, I believe the same is true when we hear about this phrase.
Indeed, what does come to your mind when you hear “conspiracy theorist”?
To me, I hear “not reliable”, “not trust worthy” or even “cuckoo”. And, to be completely honest, I want to punch something, also a conditioned reflex! Inner peace Benoit, inner peace master Sifu says!
Next.
Next and maybe most importantly, if the CIA indeed created this phrase in order to control people with fear, it does work! I feel like I’m judged and I risk to not being accepted, even rejected by my peers.
Great trigger!
Moreover, according to Marshall Rosenberg, the inventor of the Non-Violent Communication, “words are either windows or walls”.
The phrase “conspiracy theory” feels like a wall, end of the discussion, go back home and do what you’ve been told Benoit, ok?!
At our core, we are social animals and we need each others to feel happy and safe.This sense of togetherness is engrained in our DNA and if there’s a risk to be banned from the tribe, I’d rather do whatever it takes to avoid this. At least this is what my first instinct would do.
So, what do we do?
Step 1: Realigning yourself
To me and I repeat, being strong is about being aligned with myself, to be in my truth, my integrity.
Therefore, the first solution to tackle this conspira-thing argument, is, as it is most often the case, inside of us, getting clear:
– What do I actually believe?
– How do I know this to be true?
– Is it a reliable source?
In the next article, I will detail how do I do my own researches. Meanwhile, you can start with these questions.
If this feels like too much work, think about the alternative: accepting what others tell you to do without questioning them.
And believing big corporations would not dare to do any harm to you.
Good luck with this one.
Step 2: Accepting to be yourself with your own views
Then, a truism: you and I are unique, with our own tastes, beliefs, cultures and habits.
For instance, you might be hetero, gay, something else. Your choice and preferences.
So, you have your own ideas, we all have our own ideas, and the world is enriched with so many different experiences.
If needed, meditate on my favourite quote, by Oscar Wilde’: “Be yourself. Everyone else is taken.”
Step 3: How to respond and dancing the martial artist way
If someone calls you a (horrible horrible) conspiracy theorist, you might tell this person you are not so interested in conspiracies, you are on the other hand interested in alternative theories.
This is a good reframing.
You could also say that you like to be curious, that being intelligent means questioning things, or something of this kind.
And you could add that he could have his narrative AND you could have yours!
In this manner, it’s not a fight about who is right and who is wrong. It’s a dance and a cooperation to coming closer to truth.
Waïiiiaaa!!!! Martial artists know the best defense is to use the energy of your opponent! I know, I’watched too much Kung Fu Panda, what can I say, oops!
Ok, I’m serious now, I promise: the goal is not to smash your opponent and impose your truth! The goal is to have a conversation with your partner, another reframing of the situation.
Please note that I talk as much to you as to myself when I write this.
breathe pause…
Ok, I really do believe this is our chance to evolve as a society.
To say NO to fear, NO to narratives that aim to separate us, and instead to say YES to open honest discussions, and YES to people having different perspectives, yeah!
Side Step : The “this is a fact” argument
There is an idea that “we can’t argue with facts”. They will tell you that numbers are numbers.
So much to say about this topic.
We have 3 issues with this ideology.
Issue #1: as if the numbers were always correct...
fact 1: They said we have X number of covid contaminated, based on the PCR tests.
fact 2: They said we have Y number of covid deaths.
Well, even the World Health Organisation has said the PCR tests are questionable.
Also, the creator of this test himself, before dying, reminded us that we can’t diagnose diseases with his test! If you like to dig on this topic, you will see that the number of amplification (CT) used has a big impact to say whether you are positive or negative. Among other issues. In short, countless false positives. So, the X number might be X minus who knows what number!
Zach Bush talks about what would have been a good use of the PCR test in this video I have shared already.
And about covid deaths, when people die from a terminal disease, they do the (PCR) test and if they find the deceased person was covid positive, some doctors did declare this person died from covid, maide, maide, Houston we have a problem here!
We even have had a possible covid death after a guy crashed and died in a motorbike accident. One of the reasons is that hopitals are given more money for covid deaths than other diseases. We haven’t finished to talk about money that corrupts our society!
Please look it up if you haven’t heard of these.
Issue #2: numbers interpretation and which stories you want to tell
Numbers tell stories, and we can have different interpretations with the same numbers.
Let’s take an example: the narrative says that 90% (or more) of beds in hospitals are used therefore there’s a danger of overloading.
Well, what about finding ways to get more beds then? Or a flexible system so that when needed we’re able to expand very quickly this number of beds?
To go further, we could ask why, in France at least, the successive governments have decided to decrease the numbers of beds in hospitals? (yes, money again…)
And finally, still looking at the number of beds situation, we could also look at what has happened in the previous years, and realize hospitals have had similar crisis most winters/ flu seasons…
Instead, the decisions, taken worldwide, have been to place healthy people at home so that the number of sick people would decrease…
This reminds me of this scene: a clown arrives on stage. There is a piano and a stool, wide apart. After attempting to play piano standing up, then sitting on the stool thinking long and hard about what to do, the clown makes the obvious decision, under tons of applause and laughters: he painfully pulls the piano towards the stool!
Issue #3: numbers and conflicts of interest:
The same numbers, tweaked or not, can be used to convey one idea…or its opposite!
Which means who is telling you about the numbers is as important as what the numbers actually are.
Welcome to the fascinating world of conflicts of interest: politicians, medias, experts, and myself included, again, we all have a story to tell! Our beliefs have an impact on how we see the world and what we pay attention to.
It seems to me that in Quantum mechanics they call it the observer’s effect.
Less esoteric and still in the realm of science, we have a number of experts who have shown how having conflicts have an influence with the results of your study. This study for instance.
Or this one, by Ioannidis, famous expert from Stanford, who can show you the issue with numbers , basically explaining that our bias have an influence on the results.
What do we take from these?
When we hear about numbers and facts, we need to remember these are not the end game with THE absolute truth.
Instead, we know that these are specific stories with specific beliefs that show specific results.
In the future, I will show you numbers, studies, articles and videos that will illustrate my point of view.
Please remember that the medias and politics are doing the same, with their specific purposes as well. More on this topic in the next chapters coming soon!
Final step: healthy doubt and conclusion
Thanks for sticking with me and this exploration about the concept of conspiracy theory.
It felt very important for me to first dig on this topic because I’m more interested in each of u cultivating our own intelligent ideas and opinions rather than blindly adhering to others, mines included.
Most important, and I guess I will repeat this idea many many times, one of my goals is to unite us, which is specifically challenging when, in my opinion, fear has been used by the medias in order to separate us.
Finally, something to meditate: do you believe in absolute truth? Personally, I’m not sure.
On the other hand, I feel certain that there are many perspectives, opinions, ideas that, cumulated, lead to a better understanding on what’s going on.
To discriminate and impose a single narrative is not healthy, nor intelligent, nor mature.
Doubt, whether in science or in anything, needs to be cultivated and even appreciated.
This is how we have evolved, and how we can change our minds.
And, as hard as it is to admit, even myself can say things that are not correct at times. Noooooo, Benoit being wrong, impossible, this is soooo disappointing!!
Happy to read your thoughts in the comments below if you’re interested.
Next chapter on how to do your own research, it’s not as simple as it may seem.
I think you are brave to address ‘Conspiracies’ ‘Theories’ ‘Covid Narratives & Numbers’ and and and. Bravo!
Thanks Diane, much appreciated your support. Allez